This article was kindly provided to us by the Metropolitan Police Service Disability Staff Association and first appeared on the MPS intranet

Today marks the end of Disability History Month, which began on the 18^th November. To mark the occasion, we spoke to the Chair of the MPS DSA, Detective Sergeant Dave Campbell, and to two serving disabled officers, DC Stephen Lewis and PC Phil Lewis, about their experiences in the organisation.

DS Dave Campbell

Up until the 1950s, people with physical, mental and learning disabilities were often ignored by society and access to jobs and support was practically non-existent, unless individuals were prepared to be exploited, undertaking menial and degrading tasks which offered little in the way of subsistence. Support was mainly through families as very little was provided by the authorities. Unfortunately, many of these outdated social attitudes and stigma still exist today in some form.

Certainly in the police service, people were often pensioned off for being ‘worn out’, ‘mentally debilitated’ or ‘debilitated due to injury’. These terms covered a wide range of injuries, but essentially if you could no longer walk the beat or place hands on prisoners, you were pensioned off.

Society had limited tolerance or understanding of disabled people, who were often seen as third-class citizens, shunned by their peers who had to endure socio-economic deprivation and abuse, with little chance of accessing public service assistance. Few believed that public expense should be used to assist. If you had a mental illness or a neurodivergent condition, you were more susceptible to being placed in an institution or in extreme cases, used in the name of medical science.

The First World War brought a level of disability awareness to society on a mass scale when many troops returned home with physical and mental disabilities, like blindness, loss of hearing, loss of limbs, mental trauma (PTSD) and loss of various bodily functions. The care provided to returning troops highlighted inequalities and deficiencies in our care of disabled persons but unfortunately it would take 70 years before significant changes in our attitudes took place.

Attitudes did start to shift by the end of the 1960s as it became clear that the quality of care in long-stay hospitals, the responsibilities of local authorities and health care in terms of disability (particularly mental disability) was often extremely poor. With the civil rights movements of the 1960s, it was identified that disabled people also had a right to expect a level of support and care as part of their rights, just like the non-disabled population. Parental pressure and civil rights groups became an important influence in pushing for change.

However, these changes although progressive, did not significantly change the plight of disabled people in the UK. Having had personal experience of growing up with a severely mentally disabled sibling, I was appreciative of the efforts and dedication my parents had, not to give up their child to the socially-inept attitudes and support of the day, by resisting the offer of incarcerating my sibling into one of the many institutions that existed, despite the changes in law.

On top of that, the level of care for disabled people in those institutions were short of what we expect today, and many were subjected to abuse and hate crime, which went largely unreported. I directly witnessed this and the impact it had on my parents in the 1970s despite changes in law.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 came into effect in December 1996, making it an offence to discriminate against a person on the grounds of disability. Towards the end of the 1990s, a number of individuals in the MPS set up a staff association with the intention of supporting disabled staff.

The MPS DSA was set up to deal with those challenges and obtain better recognition in the work place, by supporting people and acting as a critical friend to influence, change policy, culture, procedure and working practices. The DSA has gone from strength to strength and now has 24 different peer-to-peer support networks who provide support and guidance for members, as well as working with me within the DSA to take up the challenges faced by our colleagues who have a disability.

DC Stephen Lewis

I have been a police officer for 18 years, three years in uniform and 15 years as a detective. In 2011 I had a seizure at home and was diagnosed with epilepsy in early 2012. I was placed on restricted duties, and later adjusted duties. While doctors and other specialists tested me for brain tumours my life changed completely, both personally and professionally. While I was trying to come to terms with all of these changes, I initially had supportive management. However, as often happens at work, people move on and in this instance my management were replaced by some individuals who were not at all supportive of me and my condition.

Due to the side effects of my epilepsy medication, I started to lose my hair. One supervisor ‘joked’ that I looked like I was wearing a wig. At times, I was in so much pain I couldn’t get out of bed or was so tired from repeated seizures I’d struggle to stay awake. I felt there was a real lack of understanding from some of those in management roles, which was stressful and did nothing to help me adjust to my condition and new life.

I was blessed to eventually meet some excellent people: wonderful kind-hearted managers who treated me like a person who just happened to be unwell. They wanted to understand what I was going through, so in turn they could help me when I was ill. It’s hard to keep hearing “My partner has epilepsy and then can do…” or “You don’t look sick” or “It can’t be all that bad” or “There’s no way it does that” – every individual’s experience of epilepsy is unique.

I now work in a wellbeing support team which is very rewarding. Being on adjusted or restricted duties should simply mean that – carrying on policing duties with some changes. As a team, we work with individuals affected by such changes and ensure they are found meaningful roles across the BCU, which of course benefits both the organisation and the individuals themselves.

I also founded the MPS Epilepsy Support Network to educate people and help others who may find themselves in similar situations, including enlightened line managers who are seeking to support their staff, who have been diagnosed with epilepsy.

PC Phil Lewis – SO15 Counter Terrorism Command

I have a disability to my left hand: that’s to say I have no fingers but only a thumb. When I applied to the MPS nearly 20 years ago, I’m sad to say I was treated very poorly by the organisation. Suffice to say I joined a constabulary outside London who treated my disability far more positively.

Fast-forward 20 years and things could not be more different in the MPS with regards to both disability and diversity. Yes, there are still areas for improvement but the organisation is light years away from where it was at the turn of the Millennium.

After a number of years outside the MPS, I took some time out of policing and then re-joined the MPS. One of the areas I was keen to develop was my public order training. I attended a disability assessment at Gravesend: the instructors were superb and I was then able to attend public order training. I’m now proud to be a trained Public Order Officer.

I have had various fittings and measurements with our uniformed services who have then been able to make bespoke gloves for me for both Public Order and normal daily duty.

I recently attended and passed a Taser course and an additional covert Taser carriage course. Once again, the instructors were brilliant. I think that I am the first officer in the country with my kind of disability to have passed this course.

I am very keen to develop my skills in numerous other areas and have had successful disability assessments which will enable me to attend further courses in the future, for example an Authorised Firearms Officer course, and advanced driver training at Hendon Police Driving School.

It is especially pleasing for me to see how attitudes have changed for the better and how my supervisors and managers within SO15 have been so supportive. I have no fear that my disability is judged negatively and I am able to come to work every day without having to worry about it – the end result is that I am fully able to focus on my job. Hopefully I can also inspire others with a disability – someone I spoke to recently said: “Speaking with you has really inspired me to consider my career and realise that even with medical issues, there’s a lot I can achieve. So, from me to you, a big thank you for that.”

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A timeline of Disability History Month

1919 The Central Council of Care was set up and consisted of medical professionals for the care of returning soldiers with a narrative to cure soldiers as well as reduce the burden on society, which reflects the views of society at that time.

1920 The Blind Persons Act 1920 was passed as a result of pressure to provide better provisions for people who were blind, predominantly from the ravages of a world war but would benefit people who had been born blind or non-war related blindness. That year a national reform group was set up for changes in mental health legislation which would ultimately lead to repeal of the Lunacy and Idiots Act, and the induction into law of the Mental Treatment Act (1930) which moved away from institutions and a more pragmatic approach to outpatient treatments and observation wards.

1944 The Disabled Persons Employment Act set up a quota system requiring employers with 20 or more employees to ensure that at least 3% of the workforce provided roles for the disabled. This was a major move forward and also culminated with the Education Act which had provisions for disabled persons, accepting that mainstream schools were an appropriate environment for disabled persons to learn.

1948 The National Health Service was launched by Aneurin Bevan, the Secretary for Health under the Labour government, marking a significant change in the welfare of people’s health in terms of free prescriptions, and treatments which hugely benefited disabled people who were still impacted by socio-economic and public attitudes.

1960s to early 1970s Successive Labour and Conservative governments produced several White Papers on access to services and support for disabled persons. This resulted in the Local Authority and Social Services Act that was the start of Social Services and obligation of local government to provide care and facilities for disabled persons. This was followed by the Chronically Sick and Disabled Person’s Act, which was the first legislative step in the world that recognised the rights of disabled persons. This enabled authorities to provide housing, Meals on Wheels, adaptions to homes to make living spaces more accessible so that people had a sense of independence, such as inside bathrooms and raised toilets, support bars and Home Help. It provided equal access to educational facilities for children who were blind, deaf and later extended to neurodivergent conditions. Public buildings for the first time had to provide toilet facilities for disabled people, and disabled parking badges were introduced for accessible parking and other access.

1972 The Conservative government introduced a Disability Minister, with Alf Morris being the first recipient of that role.

1981 The United Nations designated the year as International Year for Disabled People. Disabled people did not play a large part in most of its key events; their response was to challenge the ‘for’ of the Year and insist on the ‘of’, aiming at self-organisation. Disabled People’s International is formed this year and now has consultative status with the United Nations.

1986 The Disabled Person’s Act strengthened the provisions of the 1971 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, going further to strengthen the responsibilities on local authorities to support disabled persons.

1992 The Disability Living Allowance was introduced which provided financial support to disabled persons.

1995 The year often regarded as the turning point for disability in the UK, when a large number of disabled people converged on London to protest against inequality and discrimination on the grounds of disability. This was well publicised at the time, and it was probably the first time that disabled people nationally protested in such a public way against a government. There was wide spread disruption of public services and businesses.

1996 The events of the previous year led to the White Paper and eventual passing into law of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which came into effect in December 1996. The Act made it an offence to discriminate against a person on the grounds of disability. It was a significant turning point in the battle for equality for disabled people. It also applied to employers and employees where business were over a certain size.

2001 The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act came into effect, extending discrimination to cover education providers.

2004 The MPS DSA became an official association within the Metropolitan Police and was recognised by the then Commissioner.

2005 The Disability Discrimination Act extended protection to land, small employers and private clubs, but most significantly made it a duty of public bodies to promote disability equality and involve disabled people in the design of services, policies, practices and employment opportunities.

2010 It became apparent that the Disability Discrimination Act did not go far enough to protect the rights of disabled persons and inequality was still rife in the work place and in society in general. With this in mind, the government introduced wider disability discrimination laws and incorporated them into the Equality Act 2010. The Act encompassed all minority and ethnic groups, introducing the concept of ‘protected characteristics’. This made it unlawful to victimise or harass people on the grounds of disability. It also defined the concepts of direct and indirect discrimination as well as discrimination through association to a disabled person.

Disability facts & figures

Disability is rich with intersectionality across all protected characteristic groups, is often overlooked and regularly underplayed, and more often than not largely ignored. The Office of National Statistics show that 18% of working age adults in the UK have a disability. At the last census there were approximately 13 million people who had a disability. 90% are not born with disability, 83% of disability is hidden and 60% of disabled workers choose not to share with their employers that they have a disability. Looking at the figures further 1 in 4 have a mental health condition, 1 in 6 are likely to have a neurodivergent condition, 3% are likely to have impaired sight or are blind. 15% of disabled persons are likely to be deaf or have a hearing impairment. ∎

Superintendent Simon Nelson, who represents the interests of disabled police officers and staff on behalf of the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA), has been elected as the President of the Disabled Police Association.

Simon, a serving officer at Sussex Police, was elected to take on a reserve place on the PSA’s National Executive Committee (NEC) – its policy making body – in early 2020, after the role was created to better represent the views and interested of those with a disability in the service.

Now, Simon will also be leading the Disabled Police Association, the national body representing disability support networks from police forces across the UK. The association’s aim is to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people working within the extended police family.

Simon has served with Sussex Police for 27 years, working in a variety of policing roles and joined the PSA in January 2018 when he was promoted to the rank of superintendent. He currently leads Sussex Police’s Criminal Justice and Custody department.

Simon said, “After three years as a Vice-President of the Disabled Police Association it is an incredible privilege to be appointed as their next President. This will allow me to lead new opportunities to bring disability matters to the forefront of national discussions, alongside other protected identities. This new position also strengthens my role as our PSA NEC lead for disabilities and my commitment to those members who deserve to be proud of their difference whether that is through disability or neurodiversity.”

PSA President Paul Griffiths said, “I’d like to extend my congratulations to Simon behalf of the PSA national team and the wider association.

“Simon has been an incredible source of advice, support and knowledge in our work to promote valuing difference. I look forward to working further together to do all we can to ensure our Service represents and supports anyone living with disability.” ∎

This blog was originally published on the Police Superintendents’ Association website – it is reproduced here with kind permission of the PSA

Detective Constable Tony Ashcroft is based within the Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire Tri-Force ICT Department – here he shares his experience of living with autism and dyslexia

My life has been lived behind an unseen screen. This screen is the world’s perception of what is normal. Behind this screen of perception is me, the person.

What is wrong with people? They don’t understand I’m right, my way is obviously the best. No knowledge of having a condition, no understanding of why I was different, but I was, I am, and I always will be. That for me is a gift, and an ability that makes my skills something that others just aren’t blessed with.

To give you an idea of me I have compiled a quick history below.

Early years
My mother told me I didn’t speak until I was three years old. Then I spoke a sentence: “Why did Granddad have to die?” I suppose in hindsight the reason was clear. I was the first born child, well looked after and needed for nothing. The death of my grandfather was the first time I had need to get an answer that wasn’t provided by my mother’s care.

As a child I had few friends. Primarily my only interaction with others of my age was through sporting activities. My only constant friend lived a few doors away and was two years younger and, I suppose to a certain extent, followed what I did which made it an easy friendship for me.

Schooling
I was often disruptive as I struggled to comprehend subjects. I was regularly bullied and didn’t have any real friends. Although I achieved some qualifications to get me to an apprenticeship, I hated being in the school environment.

Apprenticeship
I was great at doing the practical side, but again struggled with theory input. I hated college days and again was disruptive. I would spend a lot of time on projects in my lunch time such as making car parts.

Police career
Probation saw me often in trouble for saying the wrong thing. I had a sergeant get very frustrated with me one day because he said I asked too many questions! I was always reported as being keen because I would do things that others didn’t.

I enjoyed patrolling on my own and would find ways to observe from a distance whenever I could, such as accessing the station roof at Lime Street Liverpool. Why, you may ask would I want to do that? Why not is my answer.

Although I worked with a team I would always take on roles on my own where possible. If there was a vehicle to drive I volunteered as I always felt happier on my own and my driving skills were acknowledged by instructors on various courses in several Forces.

When the Force surveillance motorcycle role became available it seemed obvious to me that I had to go for it. I can now put this decision down to my self-focus through ASC (Autism Spectrum Condition). I was leaving behind my children although never for more than two weeks at a time and moving 200 miles away because this was the only motorcycle job in BTP (British Transport Police).

Having become the first nationally trained motorcyclist BTP had ever had, I was very proud of myself. I had found another place to be where, although part of a team, I was very much the individual. I developed ideas for sat-navs on the bike and made a control unit so that I could listen to music whilst travelling to jobs. I always did the stuff no one else did.

I was offered a role in the City of London Police at a perfect time. BTP were doing more investigations and I didn’t feel comfortable with that as an option to surveillance work. The City had a dedicated team and so I knew I could find a place. They often worked single-crewed and so straight away I was out on my own again. I was happy to volunteer to go in the observation van for hours on end as I was alone in my world. This was not day dreaming but being incredibly vigilant and observant as I excelled in this. Recognising people and vehicles at a moment’s glance was an ability that I now realise didn’t belong to everyone. Once I had seen someone I could recognise them at a great distance due to their walking gate and stature.

After a motorcycle accident I was moved to the Force Intelligence Bureau where I took on the role of Briefing Officer. Again I found myself in a place where I could act independently and make changes. I changed the Force briefing system from an antiquated text-box system to the PowerPoint model that most Forces were then using. This change resulted in a much wider circulation of images to partner Forces in the Met and BTP, and identity-sought hits improved. The role provided me with a platform to excel, and the benefits were noted.

Following on from this I was given the task of ensuring Force intelligence met the standards of Management of Police Information. Yet again I had autonomy and my need to fix and make things perfect drove me forward making huge changes within the Force. I took on the task of providing input to officers on intelligence content and supervising a small team of officers who would process all Force intelligence to the national standards. My work received a nomination at the Force awards for Ingenuity and Innovation.

Having taken the Sergeant’s exam in my early career and not passing it, I had tagged myself as just not capable. My supervisor now some 20 years later suggested that as I seemed more than capable of carrying out the role of a sergeant I should take the exam again. Another disappointing result – 54 percent – was very frustrating as I had spent a lot of time studying. My supervisor again stepped up and suggested that I may have dyslexia. One large assessment later and this was confirmed.

A feeling of need and duty drove me to the North West in 2013. I believe that my want in life to be a good person became an overriding factor as my father had succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease and I needed to help him.

I now recognise this as a point in my life where my need to fix and for things to be perfect was extremely challenged. As a Force, I found Merseyside were very institutionalised. I regularly heard the comment ‘because that’s the way we’ve always done it’. I was faced with a huge wall which I was unable to climb. Despite challenging the system in every way I could I was left two years later feeling angry and very frustrated. I’m sure most people would have just accepted the way it was and got on with it, but for me it was very disturbing and in hindsight I recognise the signs of stress. Again in my life a move was the only answer I could find and a transfer into the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit seemed like a challenge I could take on.

The initial months were easy as I could carry out all the surveillance work without a second thought and I found other ways to use my skills such as creating bespoke equipment for the team to use. I then had the challenge of the National Investigators’ Examination. Knowing about my dyslexia I studied in a completely different way and my results amazed me. I scored 87 per cent and came 62nd in the country. I was truly shocked at my own achievement. It also saddened me to realise that had I had this diagnosis years before then I would likely have been able to achieve my goal of promotion. Without an astute supervisor I may have never had this diagnosis.

In November 2017, I was struggling to complete some telephone analysis work. When I repeatedly asked for help, only to be told ‘here’s a guide but everyone does it their own way’, I finally melted. Not understanding the full reason for my inability to complete the task, I had become stressed as dyslexia held me back and my ASC (which was still undiagnosed) made me angry and anxious that I could not fix it or do it perfectly.

My wife had worked for an autism charity and had been fully trained to support people with autism, which meant she spotted the signs and suggested I see a doctor. Again after a lengthy assessment a diagnosis was forthcoming in 2018: I have Autism Spectrum Condition, previously known as Asperger syndrome. This has made a huge difference to my life: being able to recognise reasons why I made choices and said certain things at certain times has made me feel much more grounded. I am now far more focused on the things I can do well and know in my future what challenges will be realistic for me.

Whilst it has been a difficult time since returning to work due to being removed from my role and not being able to do things that I am trained to do, I don’t feel surprised by this. I feel policing is not fully equipped to support people like me at present. There is a fear due to the lack of knowledge. My hope for the future is that we can ensure that the things that have happened to me don’t happen again, and that officers and staff with skills due to ASC are helped to achieve their potential and not forced to accept that they have to be like everyone else to be a police officer.

What I feel the Force can do better
Bedfordshire Police has already been at the forefront of modern policing ideas, and as a small Force is best placed to make changes. We need to step away from the regimented ideas around role profiles and promotion. We need to find a process where we can utilise individual skills better in the organisation. A police officer is never just that. There are so many aspects of a person’s life that can be brought into roles within the organisation for the benefit of the organisation, but we are too focused on the neurotypical pattern of life that always tries to push square pegs into round holes.

We need to develop better acceptance of hidden disabilities so that comments such as ‘oh we’ve got another one’ that I have personally received will no longer be made, or if made would only be a positive as someone who has been identified as being especially capable. I would suggest that all first line managers receive mandatory training that enables them to deal with potential unidentified hidden disabilities. Whilst not everyone will want to know if they have a hidden disability, for those such as myself only due to others intuitiveness have my conditions been identified.

To some extent I see those with neurodiversity as superheros! We have a skillset that is only available in 25 percent of the population. I believe that rather than continuing to force those who don’t perform well in a particular area to still produce in that area, we should now be identifying the best people for a role in a better way.

There is also the fear of the unknown. Due to ASC being a spectrum disorder and everyone in a place on the spectrum being different, it appears that neurotypicals are likely to have the rational fear of the unknown. A physical disability can be seen and it is easier to offer help or assist with things that are obvious. With ASC and other hidden disabilities identifying needs is more difficult. This is where we need to focus on acceptance in our police community and the community we serve. Since my diagnosis I have been open about my condition and sadly have felt that the people I had worked with have distanced themselves from me. Again it does not surprise me – having spent 29 years in the police service, a common attitude still prevails where we are reluctant to accept difference or change. I hope that for those with many years of service left that this can be overcome.

As with all people who are on the autistic spectrum, I know I have individual attributes that will both enhance or affect my ability to work effectively depending on the role. In addition to ASC I am dyslexic, and I find that this can lead to clashes within myself where my dyslexia prevents me completing a task and my ASC then causes anxiety due to the task not being completed.

This recent diagnosis of both dyslexia in 2013 and ASC in March of 2018 has given me a new perspective on life. I have come to understand that every day must contain a performance for me. Once I leave my comfort zone and have to engage with others who I don’t know well or have never met, I am beginning to drain my resources. It’s difficult to explain but if I likened it to a smartphone for example, most days for me I am in constant use and never on standby. My battery life is depleted quickly and at the end of a day of engagement I am flat and need to recharge.

During my police career I have subconsciously made decisions and choices to enable me to steer away from these situations. I am fully aware now that the police service has been a difficult place for me to function in due to my lack of a diagnosis. I’m sure that I could have achieved different goals had I had the knowledge I am now presented with. That aside, since diagnosis it has been a very difficult place for me to be, in part due to the lack of understanding that prevails in most areas of the Service. It has meant that whilst still able to complete a role it has been draining my ‘battery life’, and as such I will have a much better quality of life and mental wellbeing in retirement when I will be in control of my daily life rather than the organisation.

I am a practical person and I have the ability to problem-solve. I can often see solutions that I believed are obvious but when pointed out to others they had not even envisaged. Things make most sense when they are logical and I can see a clear and practical explanation. I have always struggled with paperwork due to dyslexia, and I find complex matters difficult to put together in the same time period that others would expect. That’s not to say I can’t compile an excellent report but it means that I need more time and when pressure is applied to complete things then I have become stressed. I find the need to see a tangible image of what things should be in my head.

With every perceived negative there is a positive. These are the aspects that the organisation needs to take on board and develop. I have an excellent recollection of faces and places and find that I often easily identify people by walking gait and stature. I find I work best in isolation and usually when I am carrying out a project or task with minimal supervision. I process information from written sources very slowly and struggle with its retention. In order to learn something I must re-read it several times in a suitable environment in order to recall it. Minimal distractions for neurotypicals cause me to lose focus completely. It usually means starting again from the beginning of whatever I am doing.

I have developed some social coping mechanisms through life and recognise these now more clearly. Some of them have not been the best such as getting to the pub first so I could have a few beers before others arrived. I am generally happier to limit my interactions with others. I find that I often do not read non-verbal communication at all and have a tendency to go on about topics that interest me and do not recognise when others are bored or disinterested. When receiving information I will often be distracted and find myself thinking of something completely different. It happens a lot when reading, but also when someone is talking to me – I suddenly realise I haven’t got a clue what was said or what I had read. This can complicate recording information.

Many of the things that I now recognise as needs for me I have actually been taking on as challenges and it has caused stress. I need to have a framework to my day so that I know what is happening and when. In some environments I have worked in I have found this and been able to work well. I also know that there are environments that could have been adapted to allow me to work to my best ability within them. This would also utilise the skills I have. I find changes to it at short notice are difficult and tend to make me angry as I feel as though I am not in control.

I find working to others’ timescales and deadlines difficult as I work best when I can assess a problem and set my own task time depending on what I see. I like to set my goals and achieve them especially when in doing so I then receive merit. I will often be able to find a solution that is outside of the norm but effective.

I do not like second-best options for problem-solving, and if there is a clear and obvious way to do something then it should be done that way. I visualise things as they are going to be as a 3D picture in my head. For example rearrangement of furniture in a room or the design of a garden would be a clear picture for me, but I find that others often do not see that same picture until the change is complete.

I find repetition can be a comfort and knowing things are the same is good. I find changes that are out of my control very difficult to deal with. I particularly find I am very anxious when I feel there is a better solution and I cannot make myself heard.

I am not a social person, and environments where I have to integrate and communicate regularly with others are not places I find comfortable.

Whilst writing this, I am acutely aware that those that read it may mock or laugh. You may say that’s just like me. You may say well that was 10 minutes I’ll never get back. Because of who I am, it actually doesn’t matter to me. I have done this because in the neurotypical world this is a good thing to do and it may help others. I hope that it means that people who know me can understand me better and that those that don’t know me can challenge themselves to be as open as possible to why people are different.

The word that I found recently that makes most sense is ‘Diffability’. It’s not for the Oxford English purist but it is in the Urban Dictionary, and hopefully it can be used to allow those like me to be seen as just different and not actually disabled. ∎

This blog was originally published on the Hertfordshire Constabulary intranet – it is reproduced here with kind permission of the author